Rocks Archives

Science communicator

7 July, 2023/0 Comments/in creative, curious, logical Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Science (Primary) Algebra, Animals Including Humans, Earth and Space, Electricity, Everyday Materials, Evolution and Inheritance, Forces, Forces and Magnets, Geometry, Light, Living Things and Their Habitats, Maths, Measurement, Number, Plants, Position and direction, Primary, Properties of shapes, Rocks, Science, Seasonal Changes, Sound, States of Matter, Statistics/by Melanie Horan

Science communicators communicate science to the general public. They need to make scientific research understandable to people who may not have a background or career in science. Science communicators can be a science journalists or work in a university press office promoting the scientific research carried out by academics. They may deliver science shows or organise events at science festivals, schools or science centres or design and make interactive exhibits for science centres.

Attributes: creative, curious, logical

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Caroline Riggs and a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Ginny Smith who are both science communicators. They also have a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Dr Sarah Bearchell who is a children’s science writer and presenter and a downloadable slideshow about Margaret Donald who is an operations coordinator. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Polar scientist

7 July, 2023/0 Comments/in creative, open-minded, passionate Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Maths, Maths (Primary) Animals Including Humans, Earth and Space, Everyday Materials, Geography, Living Things and Their Habitats, Maths, Plants, Primary, Rocks, Science, Seasonal Changes, States of Matter/by Melanie Horan

Polar science helps to inform the sustainable use of resources and to protect the planet. It includes many different types of research in the polar regions. Glaciologists study the ice in the polar regions. Space physicists study how space interacts with the upper atmosphere using lasers. Atmospheric scientists look for pollution, ozone and other changes to the atmosphere. Marine or terrestrial biologists study life in the polar regions, while oceanographers study the seas and oceans. Geologists study the rocks and sediments in the polar regions to understand the climate in the past. Meteorologists study the links between the polar atmosphere and changes in global weather.

Attributes: passionate, creative and open-minded.

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Prem Singh Gill who is a polar scientist. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Meta researcher

7 July, 2023/0 Comments/in curious, patient, resilient Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Computer Science, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Animals Including Humans, Earth and Space, Electricity, Everyday Materials, Evolution and Inheritance, Forces, Forces and Magnets, Light, Living Things and Their Habitats, Maths, Number, Plants, Rocks, Science, Seasonal Changes, Sound, States of Matter, Statistics/by Melanie Horan

Meta researchers study research itself. They study research methods, reporting, reproducibility, evaluation, and incentives. They ensure, promote, and defend robust science, free from biases. They ensure all results from scientific investigations are evidence based.

Attributes: curious, patient, resilient

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Emma Wilson who is an a meta researcher. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Earth scientist

7 July, 2023/0 Comments/in imaginative, logical, organised Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Computer Science, Geography, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Earth and Space, Geography, Maths, Measurement, Number, Position and direction, Primary, Rocks, Science, Statistics/by Melanie Horan

Earth scientists study the features of the Earth now and the evolution of the Earth in the past. They use this knowledge to help and sustain our planet for the future. They study the solid surface of the Earth and the ground beneath the surface (geologic science), the waters of the Earth (hydrologic science) and the air surrounding the Earth (atmospheric science).

Attributes: logical, imaginative and organised

Useful links:

The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Dr Fangxian Fang and a downloadable slideshow (PDF) about Anjana Khatwa who are Earth scientists. It’s part of their resource A Scientist Just Like Me.

Petroleum Geologist

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in collaborative, committed, curious Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Geography, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Geography, Maths - Ratio and Proportion, Rocks Geography, Maths, Primary, Ratio and Proportion, Rocks, Science/by Jonathan

Petroleum geologists deal with natural reserves of combustible fuel on both land and sea and are responsible for gauging how much of this can be extracted. They discover the location and amount of useful fuel in sediments or reservoirs using technology such as geochemical analysis, ground-based sonar and satellite mapping. Petroleum geologists interpret geophysical information, conduct field studies, interpret and implement drilling strategies for extraction and create post-project reports. Petroleum geologists may work with oil companies in the supervising of the oil extraction process.

Attributes: collaborative, committed, curious

Mining Geologist

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in hard-working, patient, resilient Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Geography, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Geography, Maths - Number, Rocks Addition and subtraction, Fractions, Geography, Maths, Multiplication and division, Number, Number and place value, Primary, Rocks, Science/by Jonathan

A mining geologist is a professional who applies the science of geology to mining. They ensure that minerals, rocks, and gems are extracted from mines, pits, and quarries, allowing maximum profit and minimal problems. They must first locate the minerals using tools such as aerial photographs, field maps, and geophysical surveys. The mining geologist then maps and makes computer models of the area and records geological data to produce accurate details of the location, structure, and distribution of minerals in a deposit. The mining geologist determines the life span and how profitable the mining venture is likely to be by assessing the grade and structure of mineral bodies.

Attributes: patient, hard-working, resilient

Mineralogist

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in Communicator, observant, organised Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Geography, Science (Primary) Geography, Rocks Geography, Primary, Rocks, Science/by Jonathan

A mineralogist is a person who studies minerals, their crystalline and chemical structures, and their properties such as melting points. Most mineralogists study minerals of economic value, such as metals like copper, aluminium, iron ore, gypsum and clays. They determine their physical and chemical properties, how to efficiently retrieve them from ores, and how to process them. They may performing chemical, heat, and other tests on samples to identify them or determine their properties. Mineralogists working for mining companies often work on enhancing the processing of minerals from ores and monitor sample collection, preparation, and analysis.

Attributes: observant, communicator, organised

Geologist

13 January, 2018/0 Comments/in creative, curious, observant Primary, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 Geography, Maths (Primary), Science (Primary) Everyday materials, Geography, Maths - Geometry - Position and Direction, Maths - Geometry - Properties of Shapes, Rocks Everyday Materials, Geography, Geometry, Maths, Position and direction, Primary, Properties of shapes, Rocks, Science/by Jonathan

Geologists work to understand the history of our planet so they can understand Earth’s history and can predict how events and processes of the past might influence the future. Geologists seek to understand the processes of landslides, earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions well enough to avoid building important structures where they might be damaged. They prepare maps of areas that have flooded in the past in order to prepare maps of areas that might be flooded in the future. Geologists locate rocks that contain important metals, plan the mines that produce them and the methods used to remove the metals from the rocks. They also locate and produce oil, natural gas, and groundwater. Geologists study past climates of Earth and how they have changed across time. This provides an understanding of how our current climate is changing and what the results might be. They also study the age of rocks, attempting to piece together a chronology of events for the formation of our land masses and changes over time.

Attributes: observant, curious, creative

Useful links:

Science communicator

Polar scientist

Meta researcher

Earth scientist

Petroleum Geologist

Mining Geologist

Mineralogist

Geologist

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